Transliteration:

Sung:

Spoken:

rādhe: Radha is the beloved of Krishna, the embodiment of spiritual love and the Goddess of the universe. Radhe is the addressive case, meaning "O Radha!" or "Hey Radha!"

kṛṣhṇa: An avatar, or incarnation, of Vishnu, the preserver of the universe. He is the supreme being, the Atman, the inner soul, and is known for His radiant beauty, playful qualities, and transcendent flute playing.

shyām: A name for Krishna, meaning "dark" or "the dark one." Krishna is said to have beautiful dark blue skin, the color of a raincloud.

"Radha and Krishna are the One Soul, but in order to enjoy the exchange of love, they have separated themselves eternally." ~ Chaitanya Charitamrita

"Tell me, friends of Love,
how far is that dark grove
where the Blue One waits,
languishing for love?
Where is that secret heart?
The Lord of the Universe dwells there
in the enchanting form of my beloved,
the dark blue, long-haired Krishna.
His fragrance engulfs my soul.
I am overcome with longing.
I cannont take one more step,
KRISHNA! KRISHNA! KRISHNA!
I cannot return to structures
of habit and convention.
Even if I never reach You,
I will abide int he wilderness,
crying out Your sweet Name." ~ Ramakrishna

"We had been in India about a year and a half, when the ISKCON people started to arrive in Vrindavan. And so, Ram Das invited some singers to the temple to sing for Maharajji. So they all came with the bangers and clangers and their drums, and everything, and they sang and danced, and Maharaji was like 'this is great!' And then they left, and he looked at me and said, 'Hare Krishna — Maha Mantra.' And then he reached into his dhoti and he pulls out fifty rupees and says 'Go buy a drum!'" ~ Krishna Das

"The sport of love, its glow and luxuries
Are indescribable, O friend,
And when I yield myself,
His joy is endless." ~ Vidyapati